Pennetta: "To be a coach, you have to 'kill' your player self and then be reborn as a coach"

Andrés Tomás Rico | 14 Sep 2025 | 09.00

Pennetta: "To be a coach, you have to 'kill' your player self and then be reborn as a coach." Photo: Getty Images

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Ten years after one of the greatest surprises in tennis, Flavia Pennetta recalls her milestone at the 2015 US Open, where in an all-Italian final, she defeated Roberta Vinci to secure her only Grand Slam title in singles of her career. In that moment, the Italian touched the sky and also her peak because hours after her victory in New York, she announced that she would end her tennis career by the end of that year.

A decade after her greatest triumph, the former tennis player recalled that moment in an interview with Gazzetta Dello Sport after the Italian returned to New York, this time as a commentator for Sky Sport. In addition to reviewing that fortnight in 2015, she also talked about a hypothetical future as a coach and what lies ahead in the short term for her husband and recently retired tennis player, Fabio Fognini.

Stepping on Arthur Ashe once again

"It was very exciting. Returning to that court, even if it was empty, transported me to the past, as if I were playing the final again. I relived the match entirely, and it was wonderful, thrilling. This time, however, I also had the chance to see New York in a different way: when you are there for the tournament, you are so focused that you really do not notice the city around you. This time, instead, I let myself be enveloped."

Unable to relive the moment she became champion

"Sometimes it happened, but the images always stopped at the moment I cried before stepping onto the court. The moment of victory, however, I never experienced it again. I think it was a dream come true, so I did not need to relive it. You know, dreams arise from desires, and when you make them come true…"

Struggling to watch tennis again, but now hooked once more

"Initially, I did not enjoy watching tennis. I only followed Fabio, but I did not feel like watching a complete match for pleasure. Now I do: I enjoy following it, analyzing it, understanding it. It's a different approach that I have learned to appreciate over time. In New York, I watched all the matches of the Italians."

About Fabio Fognini's future

"I like playing occasionally, giving some advice, but I do not see myself as a full-time coach. That's how I found my balance. Fabio would like to, but I think he still needs a little more time to disconnect and understand if he really wants to embark on that path as a coach. It's not easy; first, you have to 'kill' your player-self and then be reborn as a coach: the dynamics change completely."

She would not change anything from her career, and she does not miss it either

"No, I loved it through thick and thin, but I do not miss it. One good thing about athletes is that they have the opportunity to 'retire' early and choose what to do with their lives. I fulfilled my dreams, even greater than I imagined."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Pennetta: "Para ser entrenador, tienes que ‘matar’ a tu yo jugador y luego renacer como técnico"